New Can Do Partner, Janet Robertson, European Foundation for Quality Management (EQFM), joins us to discuss her role within the organisation and her attraction to collaborative communities…
Hi Janet, welcome to Can Do! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?:
I’m Northern Ireland born, long-time Edinburgh based. Like many folk, both are “home”. My background is in Housing gradually transitioning to Business Improvement. I’ve been with EFQM, the European Foundation for Quality Management, since April 2021. My role is focussed on developing the EFQM community in Scotland, supporting organisations across sectors and of any size, to perform better. I’ve been working with the EFQM Model myself, since about 2010, when I introduced it in the organisation I was working with at the time, to make sense of all the performance and improvement activity we were undertaking. So I know it works! Since then I’ve had the privilege of being a trainer, and also an assessor for organisations going through EFQM Recognition. There are always opportunities to learn by sharing, and I want to continue to help organisations to do that.
EFQM is hosting an event in Edinburgh on Thursday 24th March 2022, and we are looking forward to welcoming new faces as well as EFQM members, colleagues and friends. If you are curious, you can find out more and book here.
About EFQM?
EFQM helps organisations perform better.
We are powered by the EFQM Model, a globally – recognised framework for organisational change and performance improvement. We create data-driven insights backed up by industry experts, to fit your priorities, your purpose, and your people.
Through our integrated and carefully designed portfolio of products and services, we work side by side with leaders as they manage cultural change and digital transformation to deliver positive performance and meaningful benefits for all their key stakeholders.
EFQM works with a broad and diverse number of organisations, locally and globally, and across sectors, from large multinationals to small and mid-sized companies, supporting them through Training, Insight and Recognition.
What motivated you to become a Scotland Can Do Partner?
I’m drawn to communities that believe in sharing – with a common Purpose, through collaboration, we can achieve much more and do it better.
How do you contribute to the Scotland Can Do ambition; for Scotland to be the most entrepreneurial and innovative society for all?
In an increasingly complex world, I think people and organisations have to continually challenge themselves, to reflect with purpose and structure, on what they are doing and how well they are doing it. That applies to innovation and transformation as much as to incremental change. The EFQM Model framework helps organisations to do that in a holistic way, with a shared language, more conscious of the impacts that changes in one part of their ecosystem can have on another, or on their stakeholders, for example.
Just for fun… can you tell us your favourite coffee spot and what your got to order is?
I don’t have a favourite coffee spot as I like trying out different places, but the order is usually a double espresso and cake! I’m especially fond of Cannoli from The Sicilian Pastry Shop in Leith.
If you are interested in the data-driven support that EFQM, then visit their website, or email: Janet.Robertson@efqm.co.uk.